JERSEY CITY | Bates Street Redevelopment | FT | 50 FLOORS X 4

[chris08876]

Late last night, it was brought to the attention of the Van Vorst Park Association that the developer (Manhattan Building Company Inc) in the Bates Street Redevelopment Plan area is having a meeting THIS EVENING to present potential plans with the community.

The VVPA was never informed about this meeting. We have been informed today that "thousands of flyers" were distributed in our neighborhood. We have also been told that this will be one of many meetings with the developer to get community feedback that our Ward F Councilman, Jermaine Robinson, will be sponsoring.

One flyer for this evening suggests that there will be a presentation of the newest version of the proposed plans for the site and another flyer is suggesting the meeting will also discuss how the new plans will address affordable housing and create jobs.

At an informal meeting the developer had with the VVPA's Planning and Development committee, the new plans presented showed FOUR 50 (FIFTY!) story towers. This apparently would eliminate the "wall" that would be created by the original plan.

There was no mention of creating any open space but a "community give back" of a community recreation center (located elsewhere in Ward F) and a "give back" of improvements to the underground infrastructure, which they will have to do anyway to build any sort of development.

================
https://mailchi.mp/fb943f263650/bate...f1mnrvp7olj38E

[NYguy]

Two at a hundred would be nice.

[matt19215]

50 floors? this could easily be 5-600 ft

[Crawford]

Great news. That's actually a perfect location for more height/density, as it's basically a wasteland next to the highway.

[C.]

This is HUGE for the area. I saw the revisions made to the Bates Street Redevelopment plan and didn't think anything of it. Boy was I wrong!

Four Towers, 2,360 Units Proposed for the Edge of Downtown Jersey City
By Jared Kofsky






https://jerseydigs.com/50-story-towe...a-jersey-city/

Manhattan Building Company has made a name for themselves in recent years by developing both the Cast Iron and SoHo Lofts that run along the northwestern fringe of Jersey City’s Downtown. The company is now heading a bit south but still sticking to Downtown’s edges with their latest proposal, which would rise next to the I-78 Turnpike extension.

Earlier this month, a community meeting was held to unveil the company’s new plans for several lots they own inside five blocks of the Bates Street Redevelopment Area. Manhattan Building Company had previously presented a proposal for 870 units to the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA) last year that was mostly allowed as-of-right, with the tallest portions of that project rising 125 feet.

While the company’s subsidiary, Bates Redevelopment LLC, was designated a redeveloper at the JCRA’s November 21 meeting, their vision for the area has changed significantly. Designed by New York-based Studio V Architecture, Manhattan Building Company is now proposing 2,360 rental units in four towers that rise fifty stories each, with shorter three and four-story sections designed to look like brownstones in the area connecting the high-rise portions.

Several of the towers employ a tiered design and are more slender than the “wall” of buildings that’s allowed under current zoning, a move the developer says was made to preserve the city’s view corridor. The development would be built between Center and Bates Streets, feature some retail space, and include one indoor parking spot for every two units, for a total of 1,180 spaces.

To build its proposed vision, Manhattan Building Company would need to utilize bonuses within the Bates Street Redevelopment Plan. 360 units are permitted at the properties without the bonuses, so adding an additional 2,000 units to the project would generate $11 million in fees towards an Open Space Trust. Possible uses of the funds, according to the presentation, include adding a spray park and basketball courts at the Booker T. Washington apartments, making improvements to Van Vorst Park, or the development of a community center somewhere in Ward F.

[Busy Bee]

Kinda dull but I'll take it. Awesome density.

[Oron Zchut]

This should be merged with the other Bates Street thread.

However, this project in its proposed size appears dead, killed by the VVPA apparently. With it being downsized, it appears some of the previous proposals have come back to life, including 100 Colden, a 12 Story building originally proposed a long time ago as One Bates St. The building was demolished a few years ago and the site sat vacant, but while riding past it tonight, I spotted a pile driver on site - this one is starting up.


This is coming up next to 460 Grand St, and another newly proposed 10 story building (by Manhattan Building Co) to its north, as well as another 5 story building north of that (between Bright and York). Perhaps the original Mecca Properties proposal for their sites will also be revived.

This will probably be the general height of the buildings here. Decent, but a missed opportunity for more density.

[chris08876]

Thanks Oron.

Merged the two Bates project threads (reference Jun 17, 2019 post).

[Oron Zchut]

While this redevelopment seems relatively dead in its grandest form, there's still development and proposals in the area, so maybe I'll just use this thread to update those.

460 Grand St
Progress on this one remains rather slow - these photos are taken over a 2 week period














100 Colden St - pile driver left. Not sure it did much, but there is new material on site and they brought down that crane (it was sticking up for months).

[Busy Bee]

Utility burial like in most places would go a long way in Jersey City.

[Oron Zchut]

It most certainly would - it really detracts from the cityscape

100 Colden, still a storage site as of mid-August

[chris08876]

I wonder if they are waiting until the pandemic is over, just because of the uncertainty.

[Oron Zchut]

That wouldn't surprise me - there seem to be a few sites in that holding pattern (Provost 3, Harborside 8 etc), but other buildings have been starting up.

I keep coming back here wondering if anything changed - as far as I can tell, they removed the small crane but otherwise just shuffling things around




And 460 Grand, slowly finishing up

[Oron Zchut]

100 Colden Street site is more cleared. No new equipment yet though.




Next door site was fenced as well


460 Grand St, finishing

[Oron Zchut]

All quiet on the Colden St site now

[Oron Zchut]

460 Grand - inching towards the finish line


100 Colden - some piles sitting on site. Maybe starting soon?

[Oron Zchut]

460 Grand - marketing is up, will consider this one done, finally


100 Colden - still waiting

[C.]

Thanks for the update. I was hoping this one would spring back to life, especially given The Cove mega development down the road.

[Oron Zchut]

460 Grand is complete


Rest of the area should hopefully start coming along, although it will be of the midrise rather than high rise variety. While midrise probably fits in a little better in the area, it's a shame the more ambitious proposal, and the community benefits it came with (affordable housing, community center, development of the highway underpass) won't come to pass now.

[Oron Zchut]

Two of the sites were demo-ed recently: 12-24 Brook St (10 Story) and 58-60 Center St (5 Story)